This February, Particular Olympics is celebrating Black Historical past Month by highlighting Venisha Bowler, Director of Sport Competitors Administration, an instrumental a part of the group for greater than three a long time.
How lengthy have you ever labored with Particular Olympics and the way did you first be a part of the motion?
My whole variety of years concerned with Particular Olympics, together with volunteer, program degree and worldwide degree, is 32 years. Once I first joined, I used to be a neighborhood volunteer volleyball coach and have now served in lots of different roles inside the Particular Olympics group together with Space Director, Sports activities Director at state program degree, and member on the Nationwide Sports activities Advisory Council in 2000, earlier than I progressed to the worldwide platform.
Previous to becoming a member of workers with the Particular Olympics motion, I labored with the 1996 Olympics Video games in Atlanta within the Sports activities Division—Coaching Websites.
I maintain a Bachelor’s Diploma in Well being and Bodily Training from Virginia State College and a Grasp’s Diploma in Sport Administration from Virginia Tech.
With the Particular Olympics World Winter Video games arising 8-15 March, what’s your function within the buildup and working of those Video games?
I’m the first sports activities operation workers liaison to our World Video games’ Native Organizing Committee (LOC) for the 8 Winter Sports activities (2,000 athletes) and 26 Summer season Sports activities (7,000 athletes) throughout Video games. This key management function entails working intently with the LOC within the planning, execution, and analysis of the game particular operations to make sure a protected, high quality and dignified sports activities competitors for athletes with mental disabilities, below the Sport Affect Requirements. I’ve oversight of the choice, coaching, administration, and analysis of the worldwide volunteer sport particular technical delegates for World Video games and worldwide sports activities technical officers, in addition to steerage in sports activities operation coverage route. I’ve been concerned within the international Sports activities Guidelines course of for a few years. All through the previous 24 years on my worldwide profession platform with Particular Olympics, I guided sports activities for 12 Particular Olympics World Video games, served on varied committees, overseen particular initiatives, and traveled to 26 nations.
What number of World Video games have you ever labored on and what concerning the Turin Video games will probably be distinctive from others earlier than it?
For World Winter Video games Turin 2025, we’re dedicated to offering athletes with a protected, high quality and dignified sports activities expertise in Turin. As all the time it’s thrilling to expertise totally different cultures and see our athletes expertise this phenomenal sport and cultural occasion.
We now have had notable advances with this Video games together with seeing feminine participation at a document 46% which is a rise of 15% from Austria in 2017. We can even be debuting a brand new sport occasion in snowboarding, Parallel Big Slalom, and debuting DanceSport on the World Winter Video games. This Particular Olympics Video games will use the top-tier Olympic venue for snowboarding from the 2006 Winter Olympics Video games.
For those who had one piece of recommendation for African American ladies all for careers in sport, what would it not be?
There must be a various and inclusive setting within the sport administration business. There may be room on the desk, so take your seat on the desk accordingly. I’m a robust advocate of volunteerism and networking. So long as you keep true to your self.
Since 1976, Black Historical past Month has been celebrated every February within the U.S. to honor the achievements and contributions African People have made to this nation.
Since its inception in 1968, African American athletes and workers have been on the forefront of the Particular Olympics motion, main the best way for inclusion for folks with and with out mental disabilities.
The message of inclusion extends to all folks, irrespective of race or ethnicity.
Go to our Black Historical past Month tag web page to listen to from extra Black voice all through the motion.
